The Brookhaven leader., 1887-11-17

| tnlS, ana DrlnS the chlltIren under proper
laws and regulations, parents have some
times carried themselves with great rigor.
| John Howard, who was merciful to the
prisons and laZarettos, was merciless in
| the treatment of his children. John
Milton knew everything but how to train
his family. Severe and unreasonable
was he in his carriage toward them. He
made them read to him in four or five
languages, but would not allow them to
learn any of them, for he said that one
tongue was enough for n woman. Their
reading was mechanical drudgery, when,
if they had understood the languages they
read, the employment of reading might
| have been luxury. No wonder his chill
| dren despised him, and stealthily sold his
books, and hoped for his death. In all
| ages there has been need of society for
the prevention of cruelty to children.
When Barbara was put to death by her
| father because she had countermaneled
! his order, and had three windows put in
a room instead of two, this cruel parent
was type of many who have acted the
Nero and the Robespierre in the home
circle. The heart sickens at what you
sometimes see, even in families that pre-
tend to be Christian-perpetual scolding,
and hair pulling and ear boxing, and
humping, and stamping, and fault find
ing, and teasing, until the children are
vexed beyond bounds and growl in the
sleeve, and pout, and rebel, and vow
within themselves that in after days they
will retaliate for the cruelties practiced.
Many home has become as full of dis
pute as WIS the home of John O'Groat,
who built his house at the most north
rly point in Great Britain. And tradi-
ton says that the house had eight win
dOws, and eight doors, and a table of
| eight sides, because he had eight chill
dren and the only way to keep them out
of bitter quarrel was to have a separate
appointment for each one of them.
That child's nature is too delicate to be
worked upon by sledge hammer, and
gouge, and pile driver. Such fierce lash
ing instead of breaking the high mettle
to bit and trace, will make it dash off the
more uncomfortable. Many seem to think
that children are flax-not fit for use till
they have been hetcheled and swingled.
Some one talking to a child said: Il Won
der what makes that tree out there 80
crooked" The child replied: 81 suppose
it was trod upon while it was young"
In some families all the discipline is con-
cenetred upon one child's head. If any
thing is done wrong, the supposition is
that George did it. He broke the latch.
He left open the gate. He hacked the
bannisters. He whitfield sticks on the
carpets. And George shall be the scape-
goat for all domestic misunderstanding
and suspicious. If things get wrong in
the culinary department, IN comes the
mother and says, angrily: "Where
is George?" If business matters
comes the father at night and says, an
grhy: "Where is George In many
household there is such one singled out
for suspicion and castigation. All the
sweet flowers of his soul blasted under
this perpetual northeast storm, he curses
the day in which he was born. Safer
the child in an ark of bulrushes ON the
Nile. among crOcodiles, than in an ele-
CANT mansion, amid such domestic GOr-
gons. a mother was passing along the
street one day, and came up to her little
child, who did not see her approach, and
her child was saying to her playmate:
"You good for nothing little scamp, you
come right into the house this minute or
will heat you till the skin comes Off"
The mother broke in, saying: ''Why,
Lizzie, am surprised to hear you talk
like that to any one!' "Oh," said the
child, Il was only playing, and he is my
little boy, and am scolding him, as you
did me this morning." Children are apt
to be echoes of their parents.
cattle and camels with gentle Mary to
watch the little innocent than the most ex-
travagant nursery, over which Gods star
of peace never stood. The trapper eXtin-
grlishes the flames on the prairie by fight
ing fire with fire, but you cannot, with
the fire of your own disposition, put out
the fire of a child's disposition.
Yet we may rush to the other extreme
and rule children by too great leniency.
The surgeon is not unkind because, not
withstanding the resistance of his patient,
he goes straight on with firm hand and
unfalterinG heart to take off the gam
creme. Nor is the parent less affection
ate and faithful because, notwithstanding
ali violent remonstrances on the part of
the child, he with the firmest discipline
advances to the cutting off of its evil in
clinations. The Bible says: ''Chasten
thy son while there is hope, and let not
thy soul spare for his crying" Childish
rage unchecked will, after a while, be-
come a hurricane. Childish petulance
will grow up into misanthropy. Childish
rebellion will develop into the lawlessness
of riot and sedition. If you would ruin
the child, dance to his every caprice and
stuff him with confectionery. Before
you are aware of it that boy of 8 years
will go down the street, cigar in his
mouth and ready on any corner with his
comrades to compare pugilistic attain
ments. The parent who allows the child
to grow up without ever having learned
the great duty of obedience and suhmis-
sion has prepared cup of burning gall
for his own lips and appalling destruc-
ton for his descendant. Remember Eli
and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
A second error prevalent in the train
ing of children is a laying out of theory
and following it without arranging it to
varieties of disposition. In every family
you will find striking differences of tenn
permanent. This child is too timid, and
that too bold, and this too miserly, and
that too wasteful; this too inactive, and
that too bOisterous. Now, the farmer
who should plant corn and wheat and
turnips in just the same way, then put
them through one hopper and grind them
in the same mill, would not be so much
of fool as the parents who should at
tempt to discipline and educate all their